Vice President JD Vance and various White House officials are pushing back on a new claim that there is a growing rift between President Donald Trump and his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.
According to some close to Trump, Gabbard has been notably absent from recent “war room” meetings where military leaders assess Iran’s nuclear capabilities and outline potential scenarios for U.S. involvement. Trump has said he will wait until the last possible moment before making any final decision.
Multiple senior officials have described rising tensions between Gabbard and the White House, with the situation escalating enough that Vice President J.D. Vance recently took to social media to defend her amid speculation that she may soon be dismissed, according to NBC News.
The divide became public after Trump dismissed Gabbard’s congressional testimony on Monday, in which she stated earlier this year that the military does not currently believe Iran is actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. “I don’t care what she said. I think they were very close to having one,” Trump told reporters Tuesday on Air Force One. A person close to Gabbard told NBC News that the military’s position on Iran has not changed since her testimony.
Officials also noted that Gabbard’s standing had suffered further in recent days, pointing to the poorly timed release of a social media video following Trump’s public dismissal of her testimony. The video, which featured imagery of the bombed-out cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World War II, included Gabbard warning of the catastrophic consequences if Iran were to develop nuclear weapons.
That said, some officials are pushing back that a ‘rift’ is growing. “I have heard that also,” a Gabbard ally said of the video. “But I don’t think it reached the level of the president himself. I am told the matter has been ‘resolved.’”
Gabbard was notably absent from a June 8 meeting at Camp David, a location often used as an extension of White House command centers. A White House official, speaking on background, denied that her absence reflected any loss of confidence, explaining that Gabbard was fulfilling National Guard training obligations at the time.
Also, there is Vance’s post supporting Gabbard — which, no doubt, would not have been made without the president’s OK. “Tulsi is a veteran, a patriot, a loyal supporter of Pres Trump and a critical part of the coalition he built in 2024,” Vance said in a statement Tuesday. “She’s an essential member of our nat sec team, & we’re grateful for her tireless work to keep America safe from foreign threats.”
